Tent canvas protector



March 31, 1%42. w CRAWFORD 2,277,742

TENT CANVAS PROTECTOR Filed March 25, 1941 (11mm HM;

W/ZBl/E f. CRAWFORD Patented ar. 31, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHQ TENT CANVAS PROTECTOR Wilbur F. Crawford, Waco, Tex.

Application March 25, 1941, Serial No. 385,-18 6 7 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of tents, and has particular utility in connection with tents having rafter support, such, as the type of tent in wide and increasingly extensive army use at the present time.

In such tents, the pyramid top canvas is laid loosely over corner rafters without connection thereto, and shifts continually under the influence of Wind and atmospheric conditions. The rubbing of the canvas on the rafters, which usually are of woodorangle iron, wears away the fabric and renders the tent unfit for service, necessitating replacement and repair that constitutes an enormous item of expense.

An object of this invention is to provide a yieldable protective covering means applicable to tent rafters in a manner to engage and support the tent canvas out of contact with the rafter surfaces, whereby to prevent injury to the canvas.

Another object is to provide a cushioning pad equipped with rafter engageable securing means for covering the canvas supporting surfaces of tent rafters.

ther objects will e readily apparent to those skilled in the art. In the accompanying draw-- Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a tent structure in which the rafters are covered with protector pads;

Figure 2 is substantially a vertical section taken through the tent structure adjacent a rafter;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an inverted perspective view of one end of a protector pad with attached securing clip;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a pad and its securing means as employed with an angle iron rafter;

Figure 6 is an inverted perspective of one end portion of the pad shown in Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a section taken on the line 'l-1 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary inverted perspective view of the pad of Figure 5, showing an interrafters to provide a pyramid top portion with vertically depending sides covering the frame. The canvas supporting surface of each rafter is covered with aprotector pad 13 which immediately underlies the canvas and maintains it out of contact with the rafters.

For use with wooden rafters, each pad consists of a flat tubular fabric envelope I4, preferably of canvas or similar material, of a width slightly greater than that of a rafter. The envelope is packed with a filler 15 of suitable cushioning material of a yieldable nature which is anchored by longitudinal stitching l6 through both faces of the envelope along the entire length of its seam. The seam is preferably of the central overlapped type with infolded edge, as shown. The pad is of a standard length appropriate to the rafter with which it is to be used, and at each end as well as at spaced intermediate points is provided with substantially U-shaped rafter engaging clips I! attached to its bottom face by rivets or other suitable securing elements It passed entirely through the body of the pad.

The clip arms l9 are disposed in parallel relation and are spaced apart sufficiently to slide over the sides of a rafter with a snug fit when engaged thereon over its top edge as shown in Figure 3. Adjacent their free ends the arms are provided with nail holes 20 for the passage of nails or other securing elements 2|.

For use with an angle iron rafter, designated Illa, the pad comprises a somewhat wider envelope I la filled with a, packing [5a secured by the seam stitching 16a. In this embodiment the seam is on the under face of the pad. Shallow V-shaped securing clips Ila are attached to the under face of the pad at intervals intermediate its ends by rivets or other securing elements 53a passed through the body of the pad. The clips conform in cross section to the shape of the angle iron rafter, and they are secured thereto by inturned end portions l9a bent to engage beneath the angle iron as shown in Figure '7.

Also in this embodiment, end clips 22 are provided which are similar to the intermediate clips in shape and the presence of hooked ends Isa, but which differ in having integral hook fingers 23 extending therefrom longitudinally of the pad and projecting beyond its edge to engage the rafter ends as shown in Figure 5, or an element of the tent crown plate.

In service, the pads are applied with facility simply by placing them over the bearing edges of the rafters with the securing clips attached in place by nailing or bending, depending on which form is used. They provide a, cushioned fabric covering for the rafters which support the tent canvas with some degree of flexibility, which greatly increases the effective life of the tent.

The clips are preferably made from thin galvanized metal sheeting, easily bendable and capable and retaining its form. It is within the province of the invention that the clips may be of resilient material to insure a spring clamping action on the rafter with which they are engaged.

I claim:

1. A tent rafter pad comprising a length of fabric adapted to overlie the top edge of a rafter, and rafter engageable attaching members secured thereto.

2. A tent rafter pad comprising a cushioned fabric cover adapted to overlie the top edge of a rafter, rafter engageable attaching clips secured to the cover and depending from its bottom face, and said clips being shaped to conform to a rafter with which they are to be engaged.

3. A tent rafter pad comprising a fiat envelope of fabric material having a yieldable filler, said pad having a length and width substantially equal to that of a rafter with which it is to be associated, and attaching clips secured to the pad and depending from its bottom face for connection with a rafter over its top edge.

4. A tent rafter pad comprising a flat, tubular envelope having a filler of yieldable material, substantially U-shaped attaching clips secured thereto and depending from its bottom face, said clips having parallel arms spaced apart substantially the width of a rafter with which they are to engage, and said clips being engageable over the top edge of a rafter to dispose the pad as a covering therefor.

5. A tent rafter pad comprising a fabric envelope having a cushion filler and of a width substantially that of a rafter with which it is to engage, attaching clips secured thereto and depending from its bottom face, and said clips having terminal portions directed to engage beneath the bottom side edges of a rafter.

6. A tent rafter pad comprising a fabric envelope having a cushion filler and of a width substantially that of a rafter with which it is to engage, attaching clips secured at the ends thereof and depending from its bottom face, said clips having terminal portions directed to engage beneath the side edges of a rafter, and at least one of said clips having hooked fingers integral therewith and extending beyond the pad end longitudinally thereof.

7. In a tent structure including a rafter and canvas laid thereover, a cushioned fabric pad entirely covering the top edge of the rafter and supporting the canvas out of contact with the rafter, and attaching clips secured to the pad and engaging the rafter to retain the pad in position thereon.

WILBUR F. CRAWFORD. 

